


Well... That Was Unexpected

by TheFightingBull



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Deathstroke the Terminator (Comics), Under the Red Hood
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Happy Ending, M/M, Thanksgiving, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:33:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21782254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFightingBull/pseuds/TheFightingBull
Summary: Prompt request: We’re fake-dating and I’m supposed to publicly break up with you but you’ve been irritating me lately so instead of dumping you I publicly proposed to mess up your plan and now we’re getting married, fuck!Slade get's de-aged after facing off with a witch and goes to the only cape he can stand being around longer than an hour. Also the only one he trusts not to screw him over entirely. Unfortunately, Jason is as impulsive as ever. There's no way Slade was going to get out of this without being utterly humiliated.
Relationships: Jason Todd/Slade Wilson
Comments: 62
Kudos: 428





	1. Lance, A New Kid On The Backstreet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dxs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dxs/gifts), [dnky](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dnky/gifts).



Thanksgiving. It didn’t seem like much, but since Jason had made amends with the family, it had become the single most important holiday of the year. Spending time at the manor and eating a home cooked meal that Steph and Alfred would likely spend hours working on the day before _and_ the day after was a requirement. Or maybe they’d just cater it this year… He thought he’d heard something about that.

The only problem Jason foresaw with the upcoming event was that he was without a date. The year prior only Tim had a date in Steph. Bruce, Dick, Alfred, and Barbara were all single. Unfortunately for him, Barbara and Roy were dating, Bruce insisted that Selina show up, Alfred and Dr. Thompkins were an item and Dick was officially official with Kori again. Hell, even Damian was “dating” some girl from school and of course all of them would be at the dinner.

He scrolled through his contact list and sighed. He did not want to be the only solo act in the manor. It was hard enough being the undead Robin. Harder being the only one who’d been an enemy to his family at one point. The one who’d nearly killed some of them… He shook off the thought.

He was over the past. So was his _family_. He just didn’t want to be reminded of yet another way he didn’t fit in. He had to find someone, anyone to date. But who?

With a sigh he pocketed his phone and walked into the diner. He needed to get his head in the game. Some asshat was running around casting spells and causing all sorts of havoc. He’d gotten an alert from Deathstroke earlier that morning asking that they meet up. Apparently, the magician was one of the assassin’s contracts.

He really, really didn’t want to be bait. Magicians, wizards, witches? They all sucked. He couldn’t count the number of times he’d been royally screwed playing bait for a magician. He’d been turned into animals, de-aged, shrunk, aged, and once he’d even been turned into a freaking action figure. Yeah, magic wasn’t anything he liked messing with.

Still, if Deathstroke asked, he would do it. Mostly because he owed the cyclops a massive favor. Nextly, because he actually liked working with him. If Dick had half the brain he claimed to have, he would have watched, listened and learned. He would have come out of the engagements stronger, smarter, and more capable.

Jason was seated in the back of the restaurant in a corner booth, his back to the wall so that he could see the men and women coming inside. He ordered himself a coffee, black. Ever since he’d watched Dick dump diabetes type 2 inducing amounts of sugar in his, Jason had avoided the sweet substance. He didn’t even let people put fake sweeteners in his caffeine.

His eyes glanced upward as a few people came into the restaurant. A few guys and a girl. He looked back down at his coffee and took a sip as a very attractive man approached him. He was taller than most with blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes he’d seen in a long time. His shaggy blond hair and grimace did look a touch familiar but it was the way the man moved that really caught Jason’s attention. He approached with purpose and took a seat at his booth.

“Uh, beach is that way, _dude_ ,” he snarked as he pointed toward the coast.

“Shut up, Jason,” the man hissed.

He blinked in surprise as he scowled at the blond before him. “Who…?” He shook his head as he looked over the stranger. Blond hair, like platinum blond hair. The guy had stood at least six foot four and he was built like a fucking terminator, or rather, built like _The_ Terminator. “Holy shit!”

“Took care of a witch a few days ago,” he snapped. “Seems he had a few allies that took offense.”

Jason couldn’t do anything but stare at the man. Did Slade realize how gorgeous he was? Truth be told he’d always had a crush on the older man, but he’d seemed untouchable before. Now, all Jason wanted to _do_ was touch. He tried to refocus on the conversation, but it was difficult.

“What’s your problem?” Slade snapped at him.

“Nothing,” he answered immediately. “Just a little taken back, that’s all.”

Slade sneered. “Yeah, that’s why I need your help.”

“Gotta kiss a real boy to turn back into an old frog?” He couldn’t help but tease the old man.

Those sky-blue eyes rolled as Jason was grabbed roughly by the collar. The speed and the skill warned that despite being a good two or three decades younger than he should be and forced to see out of two eyes, Slade was still very much a dangerous man who didn’t always appreciate the lip.

“Your fairy tales are crossed,” Slade growled low. “I don’t know what the fuck I need, but I do believe the spell will resolve itself eventually.”

As soon as Jason was released, he nodded. “How soon?”

“Couple weeks at least, couple months at the most.” Slade frowned.

“So… What did you need me for?”

“I need to lie low,” he answered quietly. “You’re one of the few capes that owes me a favor and one that won’t drag me to Arkham or Blackgate.”

Jason nodded, but then paused. Wait, did that mean? “Slade,” he whispered as he leaned forward to make sure no one else could hear. “Are your enhancements… you know?”

“Gone?” Slade huffed. It would have been funny if it wasn’t so terrifying. “It’s not something I’m willing to explain.”

“But it leaves you vulnerable,” he reasoned and when he saw the glare added quickly; “Or well, as vulnerable as someone like you can be.”

Slade nodded. “You gonna help me or not?”

He leaned back and nodded. “I’ve got a few places you can hide out, not all of them are dumps,” he explained softly. He noticed a few women were staring at Slade as they passed by, especially the waitress who looked like she was trying to hype herself up. “Do you see the effect you are having on people?”

To Jason’s further surprise, Slade blushed! Like actually blushed. His cheeks turned red and he didn’t even scowl or growl at Jason. Yeah, he was a master of self-control with his enhancements, but it seemed he didn’t have the molecular level of control over his body at the moment. He wondered if Slade was even aware of the way his cheeks turned red.

He was about to ask when the waitress finally sidled over. “Anything I can get you, handsome?” She grinned.

Slade jaw ticked as his fists clenched on the table. “He’ll have coffee, black and a Denver omelet. I’ll have the biscuits and gravy.”

The woman pouted a little, but made off to get their order put in. “Thanks,” Slade grumbled.

“This is really throwing you off your game, isn’t it?” Jason didn’t smile. He absolutely bit back the temptation to continue pestering the man about his predicament and be an adult about it.

Slade didn’t answer, obviously working on trying to control himself. Whatever he tried; it didn’t work. If looks could kill, Jason would be a dead man. The narrowed eyes, the unholy sneer on his lips? It was intense and not something Slade had been prone to in the past unless he wanted to strike fear into the hearts of any surrounding him.

“Jason,” Slade started, but was interrupted by the shout of another.

“Jay!”

Slade turned and Jason looked toward the front where Dick and his partner Devon Peterson had just entered. His brother was all smiles as he and the other cop approached them. He looked down at Slade and Jason almost wondered if Slade’s non-existent cover had already been blown. To be fair, Dick had the most familiarity with the assassin. They’d been enemies, reluctant allies, and had briefly shared a partnership in which Slade had tried to be something of a mentor.

If anyone had known what Slade looked like as a young man, Dick would make the most sense.

“Who is this?” Dick smiled as he looked down at the younger version of his former antagonist.

Slade looked like he was going to tease Dick as he was so used to doing, so Jason kicked him beneath the table. “Hey Dick, this is,” he glanced at Slade to be sure there would be no retaliation and to try and think. “This is uh… Well, he’s…” Shit. Maybe he should have allowed Slade to speak.

The only problem was that Jason had never trusted Devon. He’d been Dick’s partner for a year and seemed shifty as fuck. He frowned and looked to Slade, trying to impress upon him the knowledge or paranoia he had about the other cop. Not that Slade was a fan of cops anyhow. They usually made his life a touch more difficult than necessary.

“Fuck, you know what,” he stalled as he formed a really half-assed plan. “This is my boyfriend.”

Devon’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re gay?”

“Wow, Jay, really?” Dick smiled. “How long?”

“C-couple of months. I just… you know how I am with relationships… I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure. You know what vultures the media can be.”

Dick nodded; the poor guy knew better than most, he really did. Jason almost felt bad for the oldest of Bruce’s kids. He’d been under a microscope the moment he turned eighteen. Tabloids ran a story on anyone they thought he might be dating and definitely anytime he’d broken up with them. Hell, there’d even been an article devoted to all of Dick’s one-nightstands a few months back.

“You gonna introduce me to your boyfriend?” Dick smiled, he and his partner still standing beside their table. Devon looked bored and a little irritated, but Dick was practically glowing.

“This is… Lance,” He almost cringed but frowned when he saw the furious expression on Slade’s face.

He couldn’t help it though. Slade looked like some kind of New Kid on the Backstreet or something. He was absolutely gorgeous and the first name that popped into his head was Lance. He was so fucking dead. Slade Wilson, who already had a porn star’s name, was now Lance.

“Hi, Lance, I’m Jason’s brother, Dick,” he offered his hand to Slade. 

_Lance_ hid the rage from his eyes as he looked up at and took the offered hand. “That’s _not_ my name. Your asshole brother just insists on calling me that because he thinks I look like a boyband loser,” Slade sneered. “My name is Liam, Liam Kelly.”

Dick laughed and nodded. “Yeah, Jason’s always been a bit of an ass,” he nudged Jason’s shoulder as he spoke. “Well, we’re just grabbing our breakfast to go, but it was a pleasure meeting you, Liam. I hope we see you at dinner this Sunday.”

“I doubt I’ll be in town,” Slade started.

“He’ll be there,” Jason insisted. “Now get outta here before your partner strangles you or something.”

Devon rolled his eyes before turning from them and walked back to the front of the diner without Dick. Jason really, really hated the guy. He wondered how corrupt the officer was. If he was just an asshole or if he was dirty, or maybe even a mole for someone.

“Sounds great!” Dick grinned to Liam. “Catch you later, Jay!”

As soon as he was out of range, Slade had him by the collar again. “What the Hell do you think you’re doing, Jason?” 

“Protecting you and doing myself a favor at the same time,” Jason explained. “Look, the family is always on me about not taking anything seriously. If they think I have a real boyfriend instead of some throwaway lover, they’ll stay off my ass for a bit. You dump me in front of them, like at Thanksgiving dinner at the end of the month? Dude, they’ll leave me alone for the rest of the season at the very least!”

“So, this will be your payment for allowing me to lie low? Putting my new persona in danger just so that you can have a date to some holiday functions coming up over the next four weeks?” Slade definitely looked against it. Still, Jason could only nod. “Fine, but you embarrass me or fuck me over in any way, and I swear I’ll gut you.”


	2. It Begins

Slade was dressed in some dark wash jeans and a black sweater with the sleeves rolled up only a quarter of the way. He’d been staying in Jason’s actual apartment rather than a safe house. The brat had insisted it would make their relationship seem more realistic. He didn’t really care, but it was better living conditions than he’d expected.

The second Robin was immaculate. He didn’t smoke inside his two-bedroom apartment. He cleaned his dishes after every meal, and he stayed on top of his laundry. His kitchen was spotless, and nothing was rotting or leaking in his fridge. The second bedroom had been used as a study, but when Slade came in, Jason boxed up and organized anything that would get in the way and promptly placed it in storage. Everything had a place and a use in the apartment.

After seeing Dick’s place once, it wasn’t what Slade had been expecting. He found himself impressed with the Spartan attitude of Gotham’s most violent vigilante.

“Seriously! I have coasters, Slade!” Jason snapped as he came out of his bedroom, dressed in jeans and an old Metallica t-shirt beneath a leather riding jacket. The boy’s teal blue eyes were focused irritably on the beer sitting atop the wooden coffee table. “Were you raised in a barn?”

Slade grinned and shrugged; he so enjoyed getting a rise out of his pretend boyfriend. “You know, Kid, you’re a complete phony.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jason snarled, instantly angered by Slade’s minimal provocation.

He raised a brow and folded his arms over his chest. He looked down at the younger man. “You dress and act like you don’t care. Like you’re a slob. But I’ve been with you for the past four days. You’re one of the prissiest men I’ve met.”

“Clean, yes. Prissy? No,” Jason denied. “I know what the word means. Nothing proper or respectful about me. And quit calling me ‘Kid’, you’ll give yourself away.”

He didn’t respond. There was no reason to. He grabbed his own leather jacket and headed for the door. Jason was right, though. He needed to remember that as far as the world saw, he was only a year or two older than Jason at the moment. He couldn’t keep calling him all the pet names that Deathstroke used. He’d need to fall into something else.

It had to sound natural though, so he didn’t worry about it too much. He was sure if he left it alone, it would come to him. For now, he’d stick with Jason. Personally, he hated that the kid let people call him Jay. How the kid tolerated being called that after Joker was beyond him. Slade certainly wouldn’t have allowed it.

“You ready to go or do you have more shit to bitch about?” Slade asked.

“Oh trust me, there’s plenty of shit for me to bitch about,” Jason grumbled as they stepped out of the apartment together. Slade waited patiently as the younger locked up. “You got a maid or something where you stay?”

“Pardon?” Slade hadn’t been paying attention, his focus had been unexpectedly captured by the brat’s swagger.

“Do you have a maid or a butler or some shit?” Jason repeated as he turned and started to lead Slade toward the garage. “I’m assuming you do because of the pigsty you leave my bathroom in and the way you just toss your clothes all over the place.”

“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,” he lied. Like the beer without a coaster, Slade had quickly figured out that Jason didn’t like messes and while Slade usually agreed with the sentiment, it was a lot more fun to poke at the man he was staying with.

Jason rolled his eyes as they reached the elevator. “You and Dick sure do have a lot in common,” he popped off and Slade knew it was meant to be an insult. “You’re both lazy pigs that expect others to clean up after them, you both have vindictive, petty tempers, and you both think just because you’re hot you can get away with it!”

As soon as they got on the elevator, Slade boxed Jason into a corner before a button could be pressed. He leaned into the shorter man and knocked his knee between Jason’s thighs. He then grabbed the kid’s face and forced him to look up into his eyes. “You think I’m hot?”

Jason swallowed hard, his eyes comically wide but his mouth in a firm, tight line.

Slade chuckled as he stepped back and allowed Jason to hit the button for the garage. The brat didn’t respond, nor did he say anything until they were in the car and on their way to Bruce Wayne’s home.

He was curious about what he was going to experience. He was about to see something few on the planet had witnessed. Bruce Wayne, the Batman, hosting a small family dinner with his four sons and apparently their dates. It would be a perfect opportunity to gather some intel for any future missions he might have.

“Ok, Liam Kelly, let’s go over this again. Where did we meet?” Jason asked.

Slade shrugged and answered easily. “We met at a bar. You were mouthing off to a couple of guys, I thought you were in over your head and I stepped in to help you out.”

It had been a good cover. Nothing overly complicated and something very realistic for both parties. There wasn’t a single reason why no one would believe it. The fact that Jason often tried to pick fights whether he was in a good or bad mood wouldn’t shock a single member of his family. That he’d pick a guy up at the same bar during a fight was apparently normal as well.

“How old are you?” Jason asked next.

“Twenty-three,” he rolled his eyes.

“Wow, you know, you are pouting a lot,” the brat laughed. “What’s wrong? Youth doesn’t agree with you?”

He pulled the visor down and looked in the small mirror. To his mortification he was in fact frowning. It wasn’t what he would have called a pout, but the little shit seemed to be on a mission to piss him off. His eyes cut to Jason. “You’re just lucky you’re driving, punk, or I’d knock your ass out of this car.”

Jason didn’t seem offended. If anything, he looked more amused than ever. “As if this isn’t payback for treating my apartment like a fucking laundry basket,” Jason snorted. “You think I don’t know you’re doing it on purpose?”

Slade didn’t mind that he grinned. “Just testing your patience. Need to know how far I can take it before you break.”

“Yeah, well, turnabout is fair play.”

Slade looked over to Jason’s smile. He was surprised by how much he liked it. The boy was very attractive when he smiled. It gave the former Robin a confident, devil-may-care look that suited his lightly freckled face and his Irish nose.

They tested each other’s background as Jason drove them to the mansion in his ’78 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Neither of the men were car guys, but Slade knew Jason loved the car if only for the phoenix outlined in gold over the black hood. Since waking up in a grave, the kid gravitated toward the symbol of the mythical bird, but in fairly subtle ways.

The car had been the most obvious display that Slade found. The rest were hidden in various pieces of dishware or the rare knick-knack. It made sense to him that Jason would look to a symbol that held so much literal and symbolic similarities to himself. Jason might come off as a guy who didn’t get too deep, a guy even Slade believed was incapable of taking anything seriously beyond killing bad guys, but one look at his bookshelf had proven otherwise.

“Hey, what’s with Pride and Prejudice?” he asked.

“Huh?” Jason’s eyes cut to him briefly before turning to the road.

“You have like six copies of the book,” he pointed out.

Jason shrugged. “It’s my favorite book and it helped me learn a couple different languages since I knew the English version so well.”

That was a surprise. “That boring ass book? It’s a gossip rag about a rich family. What the Hell could a guy like you get out of that?”

Jason shrugged but didn’t answer. Actually, it looked like Jason kind of folded in on himself. Slade almost felt bad, but it didn’t change the reality. He’d read it once, it was required reading in school, and he’d loathed it. It was boring. He couldn’t always tell who was talking and it didn’t have a single fight in it beyond a couple of girls being catty.

He wanted to push it, but Jason looked irritable and Slade knew that was his fault. Well, the brat shouldn’t have insisted on dragging his ass around family and pretending to be his boyfriend. Slade hated Bruce Wayne.

When they finally arrived, Jason was in a pissy mood and so was he. Slade was annoyed that he had to pretend to be happy and in love with Jason while in the presence of one of the most out of touch men, he’d ever met. That he no longer had his pretend lover as an ally only soured his mood further. Briefly he wondered if the other Robins would make decent backers should things get really uncomfortable.

When he and Jason entered the mansion, he had to admit he was pleased by the raised brows of Bruce. The billionaire had been forced to look up and a small, petty part of himself actually felt a little better. Bruce Wayne always looked up to him, but the bat wasn’t aware that he was looking up to the youthful face of Slade Wilson.

“You must be Liam,” Bruce greeted politely as he offered his hand.

“Call him Lance, he prefers that,” Jason snickered.

“Lance?” Bruce frowned.

The brat was lucky that he was not only out of reach, but that Slade’s dominant hand was currently occupied. “Jace likes to nettle and tease,” he forced a smirk. “I’ll get him back later, I’m sure.”

“Are you sure it’s not revenge for something you provoked earlier?” Jason countered.

“Are you still on about that book?” Slade growled in surprise.

“It’s not just a book,” Jason frowned and headed deeper into the home he’d spent a few years in.

“Everything alright?” Bruce asked as he took Jason’s job of leading Slade toward the dining room.

“Jace is being brat,” he rolled his eyes and followed along. The man gave him an arched look and Slade couldn’t deny he’d want to know more if he were in the bastard’s shoes. “He’s upset that I don’t appreciate his taste in books.”

Bruce chuckled as if in on some kind of joke, but thankfully didn’t say anything else. Slade frowned when they walked into the dining room. Not only was he relegated to standing beside the other dates, but he was forced to watch the Robins all greeting or maybe fighting with each other. Jason playfully(?) shoved Tim into Dick, while Damian snarled something in Arabic that sounded suspiciously like he’d slit Jason’s throat for the slight against Grayson.

He rolled his eyes and moved to stand beside Stephanie Brown, the current batgirl and Kori, also known as Starfire, and a little girl that appeared to be twelve years old. He knew of Stephanie, knew that she had briefly been Robin before Batgirl passed down the mantle. But, Kori? Oh, he knew _all_ about the alien. He was pleased that she wasn’t psychic, or Jason’s game would be over before it began.

“Wow, you’re really tall,” The little girl grinned up at him, catching the attention of the boys. Bruce had already moved to his seat at the head of the table.

“I’ve seen taller,” Damian muttered and quickly moved to stand beside the girl. “Come on, Lottie,” He took her hand and guided her to sit beside him at his father’s right.

Dick turned and smiled to him, “Hello, Liam, it’s good to see you,” he greeted. He also gently righted Tim. “Why don’t we all take a seat and then we can do introductions.”

“Goodie,” Jason rolled his eyes. “Come on, Asshole, you’re sitting next to me.” His boyfriend then moved to sit beside ‘Lottie’.

Once everyone was settled, introductions made, and dinner had begun, Bruce was the first to clear his throat and look to him. Slade wondered if he had figured them out so soon, but he didn’t know any of them on a social level. He couldn’t actually guess at what would pass for dinner talk or more importantly, how quickly Bruce would apply himself to a mystery. Did he think there was a mystery to begin with?

“So, Liam, how did you both meet?” Bruce asked.

Slade was going to tell them the story they’d come up with, he really was. But he knew what would happen. He knew that they’d stare at him with condescending smiles and think how sweet it was that some poor civilian idiot had tried to save Red Hood from someone that wasn’t at all a threat. He didn’t feel like gagging on a meal someone had clearly spent some time on.

“We met at a bar,” Jason answered, looking worried when Slade hadn’t answered quickly enough.

“You don’t need to be ashamed, Jace,” Slade huffed and crossed his arms.

“Wha— What are you talking about, Babe?” Jason frowned as he looked from Slade to his family and back again.

“We didn’t meet at a bar,” he answered Bruce, looking the vigilante in the eye and ignoring Jason’s hand grabbing hold of his and squeezing. “We met at a library. I was doing some research for school, but Jace was there listening to some idiot read their god-awful poetry.”

He heard Jason choke and assumed the brat was as red as Tim Drake’s new uniform. It wasn’t how they’d met, but Slade had in fact caught him at the library the other day. He just hadn’t told Jason about it. “He was listening so intently and aside from a very effeminate man; he was the only guy there. But all of them were hanging on the words of the reader.”

Damian rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right.”

Tim looked doubtful, and Dick frowned in sympathy, but Bruce smiled. “I wasn’t aware you still went to readings, Jason.”

He finally took a look at the brat and watched as Jason ignored the comment and drank down his wine. Drink and man were practically the same color.

“Anyhow, I was intrigued. He didn’t seem like the typical gay man I’m used to seeing,” Slade continued. That wasn’t hard to lie about either. Jason had _never_ seemed the type, even if he didn’t go out of his way to hide it. “So, when the reading was over, I introduced myself.”

“Aww, what’d you say, Jay?” Dick asked before either of his brothers could make a rude comment.

Slade could see Damian practically squirming with the need to spit out something nasty.

Jason’s eyes found his and they snapped fire. “You’re an asshole,” he growled low and then turned to look at Dick who was sitting beside a very amused Bruce. “I introduced myself back, Dick, what do you think I said?”

“Knowing you? I’m surprised you didn’t insult him,” Tim shrugged. He was promptly elbowed by Stephanie. They were sitting directly across from him and Jason to Dick’s side.

“He did,” Slade smiled. “He walked up to me and said, ‘Let me guess, Lance?’ He thought he was amusing.”

“No,” Jason denied. “No, I thought you were coming over to make fun of me, so I was making fun of you as a pre-emptive strike.”

He laughed and ignored the sharp pain in his hand as Jason squeezed it again. “I corrected him and told him he was a mouthy little,” he paused and looked toward Damian and Lottie and changed his wording for the sake of the children present. “A mouthy little thing and I told him to give me his number.”

“And I told him to fuck off,” Jason finished with growl, no concern for the twelve-year-old’s beside him. “The end.”

Dick laughed and even Bruce smirked. “Nice try, Jason,” the former teased. “Why’d you give him your number if you disliked him so much.”

“I told him that even if he was the biggest ass I’d met, he was at least attractive.” Jason blushed and looked down at his food. “Are we done humiliating me, yet?”

* * *

Jason gritted his teeth as he stomped through his apartment to his room and slammed the door shut behind him. Bruce and the others hadn’t suspected a thing, but Slade had managed to get so deep under Jason’s skin that he didn’t know if he wanted to kick or kiss the fucker. Slade hadn’t been outright cruel; if anything, he’d revealed that he’d been stalking Jason, but he didn’t like his family knowing things about him.

It’s not that Bruce or Dick would use those details against him, not on purpose, but anytime they worried, Jason would now have to be concerned about running into them at one of the few places he found peace in Gotham.

He rolled his eyes when a knock at the door came. “What do you want?” he growled as he stood beside the door. He refused to open it.

“Quit being a child and get your ass out here!” Slade snapped. “Don’t make me come get you, Jason.”

He opened the door, ready to rip him a new asshole, when powerful hands grabbed and slammed him up against the wall beside his door. “Don’t let this face fool you, Todd,” the older man snarled. “I may look your age, but I’m not. I demand respect and if you don’t start showing it to me, I’m going to punish you.”

He shivered at the threat and then blushed the moment Slade noticed it. The blond raised a brow at his reaction and Jason shrugged. “What can I say? I like it when men two or three times my age tell me what to do.” He grinned when Slade’s pretty blue eyes widened. He couldn’t help but push it. “I especially like it when they spank me.”

Slade released him immediately and stepped back. The man continued to glare but didn’t say anything more as he moved into his own room and shut the door firmly. Jason noted that there hadn’t been near as much anger as his own door slamming earlier. 

He bit at his lip and frowned. He’d always thought the man flirted with him in the past. Hell, he’d even done it tonight. Had he said something wrong? Jason went to his own room and got himself ready for bed. He was the one who was supposed to be mad at Slade. The former cyclops was the one who changed the script and embarrassed him.

He brushed his teeth and wondered if he should give the man some space. Go on an unscheduled patrol? Maybe go screw with Harvey Bullock? That guy had the night shift this week… Then again, maybe going to bed was as good as leaving Slade with his own thoughts? It was kind of cold out and the stupid family dinner had been draining and distracting.

Two things that didn’t sit well with a spontaneous patrol route.

Yeah. No reason to get in anyone else’s way. Just go to bed.


	3. In Public

“Is there even someone alive _to_ recognize you?” Jason snickered as he tried to get his stupid tie right. Admittedly he was a bit distracted by the way Slade looked in a suit. It wasn’t just the youthful body he currently occupied. Oh no. Jason had seen the assassin in suits more than once prior to the magic curse thingie. “Someone being old enough to know what you looked like back then would probably have significant memory issues, right?”

Slade Wilson was gorgeous. He was strong and powerful with broad shoulders and a heavily muscled body that made Jason drool. When it came to his ‘spank bank’, Slade had always made up a large chunk of his footage. Being pinned and slammed into walls was a constant source of enjoyment if he were being honest with himself and two nights previous had made it into the mental catalog. The first of its kind featuring a young Slade.

“Not here in Gotham,” Slade conceded as he stepped into Jason’s bubble. He smacked Jason’s hands away and then took up the task of fixing his bow tie. “Elsewhere? Unlikely. I still don’t want to be photographed and if I am, I’m taking it out of your hide.”

The tie was a bit snug, but Jason had no doubt that was done on purpose. He kept himself absolutely still as Slade finished up. He knew better than to push the man’s buttons any further. Well, not with him in such close proximity to his person.

“Don’t worry, I told you I’d protect your current identity,” Jason reminded. “Dick knows I hate the press, so he’s arranged for you and me to come in on a side entrance while Bruce, Dick and Tim go in through the front.”

“And what are we doing exactly?”

“Charity auction,” Jason shrugged. “Or some shit.”

“And the lucky organization?”

“The four largest homeless and or women’s shelters,” Jason shrugged. “The morning and afternoon of Thanksgiving I go feed the homeless with Tim and Steph. I think Dick’s going again this year. Bruce used to try, but it always turns into a big circus with the press and the shelters trying to impress him, so he doesn’t go anymore.”

Slade nodded. “Am I expected to join you?”

“No,” Jason laughed. “I couldn’t afford to pay you for that.”

Slade didn’t respond one way or another. Jason didn’t regret what he’d said. The man was literally a mercenary. He didn’t do things pro-bono and that probably included handing out food or money. Besides, after Jason tried to kill Tim, it had become something of a tradition for them to attempt bonding the day of Thanksgiving.

* * *

When they got to the charity auction, Slade kept quiet, watching the way Jason mingled, or rather, the way he didn’t. People outside the family didn’t approach Jason Todd. At first, he wondered if it was him, but even after he walked away to check out some ugly necklace, he noticed that no one walked over to the young man.

Dick had a small flock of men and women around him and a reporter or two asking about the absence of his girlfriend Kori. Bruce had double the amount of attention. He noted that Damian and the butler weren’t present for this event, but even Timothy and Steph had a small crowd of followers. He wondered why that was?

Jason Todd was very handsome. What scars he had weren’t visible since they happened to lie beneath his clothes. He had striking eyes that flashed brightly in contrast to his thick black lashes. His lightly freckled face had a pair of soft lips. When the brat smiled, no matter how sardonic, cruel, or faint, it would light up his mischievous eyes. From nearly the first moment Slade had met him, he’d been attracted to him.

Had it not been for their age difference, Jason’s nasty temper, and his reputation for being completely uninterested in men or maybe sex in general, he would have flirted a while ago. He should have known better. He should have recognized that it hadn’t always been fear he read in the brat’s body language. Now that he was staying with him, he saw it clearly.

He looked up just in time to see Jason approach with a couple beer bottles. “I wasn’t aware they served that kind of thing at an event like this.” He took the offered beer and nodded his thanks.

“Yeah, well,” Jason shrugged. “I might have told Bruce and Dick the only way I’d show up is if they brought a cooler of beer for you and I.”

He grinned. The kid _would_ be prepared for something like that. He didn’t mind drinking wine or champagne, but he did prefer beer if he could get it. He took a drink of the opened beer and wrapped his arm around Jason’s shoulder. It was another thing he enjoyed. Despite Slade’s height, Jason wasn’t so short that he had to lean down like he would have had to do for Dick or most women he’d dated in the past.

Jason leaned into him a bit and took a drink of his own beer. “This is boring as shit,” he grumbled, but he sounded content.

“It’s no book reading,” Slade teased as he looked out over the items people were silently bidding on. “But it’s not _that_ terrible, is it?”

Without looking, he was certain Jason rolled his eyes. “Whatever, _Liam_ ,” he stepped out of Slade’s hold and then stared up at him. “Why did you go stalking me that day? What were you doing?”

“Honestly? I was doing recon for this,” he waved his arms to encompass the scene surrounding them. “Jace, I have to know more about you than you’d ever be willing to share with me. You told Dick we’ve been exclusive for two months. Not knowing anything about you wouldn’t have been realistic, especially to Bruce Wayne who gets to know his lovers in the course of a 24 to 48-hour fling. Most people begin to formulate plans on spending the rest of their lives with someone they’ve spent that much time with.”

Jason looked irritated by the answer, but he didn’t argue. Slade frowned. Jason argued with him about everything. He argued with _everyone_ about everything. Especially where he believed he was right. Jason shook his head and stepped away from him, his pretty eyes finding his own.

“So, you stalking me has nothing to do with killing me for making you come with me to all this shit as my date?” Jason laughed it off, but the humor failed to reach his teal orbs.

He grabbed Jason’s arm and pull him into his chest, grabbing his face somewhat roughly and forcing the brat to look up at him. “You’re doing me as much a favor as I am you. One might even argue a bigger favor, so believe me when I tell you I’m not going to kill you for this fake relationship,” he growled softly enough to keep the topic between them.

He did however notice several people looking their direction, including Dick and Bruce. The latter looked concerned. With an intense look down at the younger, shorter man he leaned down just enough to kiss him. Jason froze briefly before wrapping his arms around Slade’s neck and pressing himself closer to him. It drew the attention of several reporters. He knew it by the flashes that came from his peripherals.

Jason finally pulled away with a bright red tint to his face. Slade could tell by his body language it wasn’t embarrassment. The kid wasn’t trying to shrink in on himself or hide. He stood boldly before him, grabbed his hand and dragged him away from prying eyes. Slade couldn’t help but chuckle as he followed.

He wondered briefly if Jason would have participated had he looked like himself. If his youthful appearance was more pleasing to someone so young. Surely, Jason wouldn’t have wanted to make out in dark corners if he was still missing an eye and his shaggy hair was white, rather than platinum blond. Not that Slade would have minded.

He was far too experienced to believe that his normal appearance was a turn on for everyone. He was too wise to be offended if someone wasn’t attracted to him. If Jason only liked him when he was a blond haired, blue eyed twenty-year old, than so be it.

* * *

Jason had never had so much fun making out with someone. He had dragged Slade into a conference room and locked the door. He tested the man’s strength, jumping boldly into his arms without warning, his legs wrapped around Slade’s waist and his arms around the elder’s neck once more. He nearly melted at how easily the assassin handled his substantial weight.

He gripped roughly at Slade’s blond locks and smashed their mouths together. The growls and groans emitted from them became a blur, and Jason wasn’t sure which one of them started the grinding of their hips together. He breathed deep whenever he had a moment before diving deeper than before.

They were each so distracted by one another and the incredible intensity between them, that when Slade leaned against a desk, neither realized it wasn’t actually a desk. It was a cheap roll cart. The weight of both men on it, sent the cart rolling at a high speed as Jason yelped at the feeling of weightlessness.

Slade laughed loudly as they crashed to the floor while Jason tried to ditch. Unfortunately, the assassin was still as strong as ever and refused to let go of him.

“Well, that certainly ruined the moment,” Jason grumbled as he lay atop Slade’s chest. “You wanna let me up now?”

The older man laughed again and shook his head. “I think I like you on top of me.”

Jason felt his own blush from the heat burning in his cheeks. He looked away, unsure of how to respond. “Dude, whatever,” came out and he felt even dumber than before.

“For someone who accused me of looking like a surfer, you sure talk a lot like one, _dude_ ,” Slade snarked before he raised his head up to bite at Jason’s jaw.

He shivered at the feeling of Slade’s teeth and then forced a scowl on his face. “You know what?” Jason tried to think of something witty to come up with, but he was still distracted by the intensity of their previous embrace. “You’re old.”

A bark of laughter produced a real scowl from Jason as he sat up enough to be straddling the older man’s hips. He crossed his arms over his chest as Slade wiggled his eyebrows at him. “Oh, Jace, you seem to have lost the gift of gab.”

He couldn’t help but break the angry look on his face and smile down at the surprisingly playful mercenary. “Yeah, well, you should add kissing to your list of superpowers. It completely neutralized my wit.”

Jason was about to get up, when the hulking blond gripped him tightly and managed to stand them both up.

“Fuck me, I almost creamed myself with that move,” he blurted and regretted it instantly. He shoved Slade back and ran out of the room to tidy himself up before he could make a bigger fool of himself. He didn’t need Slade knowing he had a kink for men that were stronger than him. For men that were wiser, older, more powerful…

Maybe asking a man he’d been attracted to, to play at being his boyfriend had been a terrible idea? It wasn’t like Slade was into younger men. He teased Dick on occasion, and there had once been a rumor that he dated Terra or whatever her name was, but it had been a giant manipulation. Slade made it clear he didn’t like kids and hadn’t been interested.

One of his favorite nicknames for Jason had always been ‘Kid’, too. Didn’t that mean he saw him as a child? Or was it one of those colloquial things, like how he and his brothers called everyone ‘man’ or ‘dude’ or ‘bro’?

He sighed and once he was sure he looked presentable, returned to his family in the large hall where the auction was being held. Slade in the continued guise of Liam, was standing beside Tim and Steph. He looked uncomfortable and out of his element, but Jason saw through it. The asshole was totally spying on the two vigilantes. Learning how they interacted when they weren’t wearing a mask, cape, or cowl.

“There you are,” Bruce announced from just behind him, suspending his urge to pull Slade away from Red Robin and Batgirl. “We should… talk.”

Jason turned and tilted his head, staring at Bruce curiously. “Sure, what’s up?”

Bruce led him away from the throngs of people and into a quiet corner. “Are you alright, Jason?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“It’s just, Dick said you and Liam have been dating for two months,” Bruce began. “And I wanted to be sure that you are being smart and safe.”

Jason blushed and brought his hands up as he laughed. “Wow, uh, we haven’t had… you know? Sex… not yet. But even if we did, I practice safe, uh, sex.”

Bruce rolled his eyes. “That wasn’t at all what I was getting at.”

“Oh, well, what did you mean then?”

“Jason, have you bothered to look up Liam Kelly?” He could see the disappointment in his father’s eyes as he shook his head. What the Hell could Tim or Bruce have found? “Something’s off about him. He’s too clean. He doesn’t even have traffic tickets. Even more interesting, he’s supposedly forty-two years old.”

“Maybe there was a mix up?” Jason shrugged. “That guy clearly isn’t forty-two.”

“Agreed,” Bruce nodded. “Could be a stolen identity.”

He didn’t have an answer to that. Liam Kelly was probably a very rarely used alias of Slade’s. Probably one he used when he wasn’t working or doing anything dangerous. When he was lying low. He really should have run a check on the name. It would have been the smart thing to do, but no. He’d foolishly trusted that Slade wouldn’t endanger his cover by using a faulty alias.

“Or, maybe someone stole his identity?” he suggested.

Bruce stared with continued concern. He wanted to make things better, but he didn’t know how. If Bruce knew the truth, he’d lock Slade up and throw away the key. Well, he’d try. He’d seen fights between Deathstroke and Batman often enough to know that one could never bet on an outcome. They were evenly matched in many ways, and it had been terrifying watching them fight the few times they’d come up against one another.

“Jason, I…” Bruce stalled, which caught Jason’s attention. The man he’d called Dad for a few years now shook his head and rubbed his hands over his eyes. “I didn’t… It wasn’t my intent to go straight for the identity thing. It was, it is, a minor concern that I wanted you to be aware of.”

He nodded and shrugged. “Okay, that’s cool.” He smiled. “I got it and I’ll be on the look-out. I promise.”

“Jason,” Bruce sighed. “That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. It wasn’t the only issue.”

“Issue?” He frowned.

“No,” Bruce’s eyes widened. “No, not issue. I mean,” He shook his head. “Alfred is much better at these talks, isn’t he?”

He snorted. “It’s not like he has much to compete with,” he teased with an easy grin. “What’s up, B?”

“Two months?” Bruce asked, clearly trying to change tactics.

He nodded.

“That’s good. For men like us,” Bruce smiled and it was actually genuine. “I’m really glad you’ve found someone you can spend time with. I know it doesn’t always seem like you and I have a lot in common, but I think we’re the most alike when it comes to intimate or romantic relationships.”

He hadn’t ever thought about it before, but Bruce might have been right. Even with Tim’s awkwardness he made long lasting friendships easily. Dick of course never wanted for companionship of any kind. He only need send out a text and the person he selected would come running. Damian was being successfully socialized at a rapid rate. The demon-spawn already had a girlfriend and a best friend!

But he and Bruce? People always thought they were closer to them than either of them believed. Clark Kent thought he was Bruce’s best friend. Roy believed he was Jason’s. It wasn’t that either were wrong per-say. It was more that… It was more that neither he nor Bruce needed either man to survive. Jason couldn’t say with any finality that Dick or Roy were his best friends. He liked being alone most days and if he was given the option of going out for a few drinks with Roy or staying at home reading a good book, the book won every time.

And romantically? Well, Jason was just like Bruce. He got close over a few hours, slept with them, and then moved on. It wasn’t the nicest thing to do and they both knew it, but sex wasn’t a long-term priority, especially when missions were involved. He didn’t fall in love with the honeypots like Dick and he was certain Bruce didn’t either. When the itch began, they’d get it scratched to keep their minds sharp and focused. And that was sex.

“You aren’t doing so bad yourself,” Jason pointed out. “You and Selina seem to have finally worked everything out.”

“But it took a long time,” Bruce frowned. “And we still can’t be as close as either of us would like.” When Bruce paused, Jason thought he was done, but then his old man smiled and continued. “But that’s what’s changed. For she and I. We want to be close. It makes it easier when we can’t be.”

Jason placed a hand on Bruce’s shoulder and offered a supportive squeeze. “I’m happy for you, B. Really, I am,” he smiled. “But don’t get too excited about Liam. I know it’s been two months, but this is still new, and I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Guilt slammed into him at the lie. He knew damned well what they had planned. At Thanksgiving dinner, near the end of the night so as not to ruin anything for anyone, he and Slade were going to have a nasty break-up. It would be done so ruthlessly that no one in the family would ask or expect them to make amends.

“Just, don’t sabotage yourselves,” Bruce added softly. “I know he’s not a fan of the classics, but that’s no reason to dump a guy, Jason.”

He snickered and then snorted. “Pfft! Says you! Anyone who can’t see the perfection of Pride of Prejudice isn’t anywhere near good enough for me.”


	4. Exposed

Slade walked into the living room, having just changed out of his Ikon suit. He was surprised Jason hadn’t insisted on following him while he took care of a target that had come up. Instead, the brat said something about it being his week off and needing to get caught up on some tv show. When he glanced at the television he frowned.

“What is this?”

“Shh, Mads Mikkelsen is hard enough to hear as it is,” Jason complained as he turned up the volume rather than answer his question.

He rolled his eyes but walked over and took a seat beside the kid. He was watching a man in a very ugly outfit with a plastic suit over it. The strangely dressed man cut someone open. Or at least, that was what was implied.

“Seriously, what the fuck are you watching, Jace?” he asked again.

Jason pressed a button on the remote and the image froze. “It’s called Hannibal. It’s a television series adapted from some of the books. Just not Silence of the Lambs because they couldn’t get the rights to the story.”

He sneered. “The books were awful. Thomas Harris lucked into someone turning Silence of the Lambs into a decent movie and making the characters popular.”

Jason turned to fully face him. “To be honest, I enjoyed a lot of what I read, but I can see where some people didn’t like it.”

“Clarise was a moron who fucked her way to the top, lost all of her integrity and then joined Hannibal Lector, trusting that he’d never turn on her,” he countered.

“Yeah, that was difficult to swallow,” Jason admitted.

“So is the idea of an intelligent, sophisticated cannibal,” he pointed out. “You can’t eat as much human flesh as this guy supposedly does, especially the organs, without going absolutely insane. Physically, Jason. His brain would start to eat itself and die.”

Jason frowned at him and then scowled petulantly. “Yeah well… It’s fiction. It’s supposed to be unrealistic.” Slade was about to get up from the couch when Jason grabbed his arm. “Wait, do you like reading?”

“Yes,” Slade nodded.

“Fiction?”

“Some,” he amended. “I rarely have time to read what I want, so I have to admit I find myself extremely disappointed in some of the books I choose to spend my limited free time on.”

“Ok, so you don’t like Austen and you hate Harris. What _do_ you like?”

“I’m sure that you and I never read the same books,” Slade grinned. “Or at least, not with the same feeling.”

Jason’s jaw dropped. “How dare you quote Jane Austen to me!”

He liked the humor and irritation in Jason’s face, so he leaned forward. “Pretty sure that even if I despise a book, there isn’t a law about quoting it.”

Jason scowled. “So again, what do you read, _old man_?”

He shrugged. “If I have time to read fictional books, I prefer things like Along Came a Spider, The Hunt for Red October, you know; action-adventure books like that. But mostly I read non-fiction.”

“How can you find the classics boring, but not non-fiction?” Jason frowned.

Slade shifted a bit as he sat straighter. “You’re watching a show about Hannibal Lector, a fictional cannibal based on three or four real serial killers. Personally, I found Edmund Kemper far more interesting than Harris’ character. Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy. All sick, twisted fucks, but real people that weren’t perfect or unstoppable.”

“Thank God,” Jason frowned defensively. “I think Kemper’s the only one still alive. Pretty fucked up to call them fascinating, though.”

“Don’t get angry with me, Kid. You’re the one watching a television show and rooting for the same type of bad guy. A bad guy that’s quite literally gas-lighting someone who _should_ be the good guy.” He chuckled and then wrapped an arm around the younger.

To his surprise, Jason leaned into him and let his head fall back against his shoulder. Slade noted that Jason still hadn’t started the show and took it to mean he wanted to talk more about books. He scoured his memory for any of the classics that he was pretty sure Jason would have at least read.

“What did you think of The Mysterious Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?”

Jason grinned and looked up at him. Before Slade knew it, they’d spent well over two hours discussing all sorts of literature. They both greatly enjoyed Edgar Allen Poe. Neither liked _Wuthering Heights_ , which Slade was a little relieved by. Though to be honest, he didn’t like any of the Bronte sister’s works. Jason however, didn’t at all surprise him when he admitted that he didn’t mind _Jane Eyre_. They both liked _Treasure Island_ and _Frankenstein_.

Slade was almost disappointed when a lull in the conversation came about. It had been a long time since he’d sat and conversed with someone for the sheer sake of enjoyment. Friendly conversations were rare and conversations that didn’t end in a threat were rarer still.

“So why attend book readings?” he asked.

Jason grew shy again, much like he’d done in the car days prior. His face flushed red and he looked up at the ceiling. “I don’t know, I just, like them I guess.”

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’m not making fun. I just don’t understand it,” he clarified. “I get impatient when people read things to me. It drives me crazy, so I genuinely do not understand why people go to readings.”

His explanation appeared to pull Jason out of his insecurities because he sat back up and stared cautiously. Slade didn’t speak, afraid that doing so might spook or upset Jason out of saying whatever he was getting himself geared up to say.

“I only listen to some people and only some stories or poetry. Sometimes, it’s nice to hear someone else’s inflection or emphasis. To hear what they think is going on or what emotion they believe is more prevalent in the story at the moment. Sometimes… I get these migraines,” Jason’s voice softened before it paused altogether. “Ever since I crawled out of the dirt… It’s made reading for pleasure difficult.”

Before Slade could say or do anything to show any bit of concern, Jason had jumped up and retreated into his bedroom. He started to go after him when he heard the door lock. A lock they both knew wouldn’t slow or prevent him from entering. Still, the request for space and to drop the subject was just as obvious.

He couldn’t imagine how difficult it must have been to find himself wracked by pain that made one of your most pleasurable hobbies a nightmare. Clearly the kid functioned just fine though. Surely he exaggerated the necessity for someone to read to him. Why not just admit he liked people reading to him? Did it make him feel safer? Maybe it reminded him of childhood moments that he’d rather not forget?

It couldn’t have been Bruce, though. Slade just couldn’t imagine the Bat reading stories to any of his boys. Possibly the butler… But, realistically it was more likely to have been a mother or father from his toddler years.

And yet, as he thought about it, he’d caught Jason popping Tylenol or Ibuprofen a few times over the years. Maybe the migraine thing wasn’t an excuse? Every night Jason nibbled on some dark chocolate and had a cup of herbal tea. Didn’t matter if it was after a patrol or not. The routine had been followed to the letter.

It was an interesting weakness that he’d have to remember.

He looked back at the bedroom door and frowned. If Jason had really been his lover, he’d go in an apologize. Maybe check on him. Fact of the matter was, they weren’t really involved. They were just helping each other out.

Whatever was going on with the former Robin was absolutely none of his business.


	5. You'd Be Surprised

They were all gathered around the breakfast table. Thankfully it hadn’t been a real breakfast meal that Alfred and Bruce insisted on, but rather a brunch. It was just for the adults of the family. Which meant Dick and Kori, Bruce and Selina, Alfred and Leslie, and Jason and Liam. It was kind of nice not having to contend with Damian, Tim and Stephanie and the bickering that usually came about, but it was also nerve-wracking.

“So, Liam, where are you from?” Selina asked.

Jason didn’t bother to look up. He trusted Slade to have an answer. That and he was still sore from admitting to a weakness he hadn’t admitted to anyone. Not even the doctor sitting at the table or any of the three men at the table that treated him as a grandson, son, or younger brother. He realized too late that he should have paid attention to the answer, because he didn’t honestly remember what they’d gone with.

“Sounds very rustic,” Alfred offered politely.

“Not that any of us know if that’s good or bad,” Dick smiled. “The rest of us are all city-slickers, right Jay?”

“Huh?” It took only a second to process what they’d said. “Oh, uh, yeah. Born and raised right here in Gotham.”

“Montana is so far away though,” Selina spoke up. “I can’t imagine you taking our Jason so far away.”

Everyone at the table coughed, choked, or snorted; Jason was only grateful he’d paused before taking a drink of his orange juice. “Excuse me?”

Selina grinned, her pale blue eyes twinkling like a cat that had just found a mouse to toy with. “Well, he said he wanted to go back home to Montana at some point, I just figured with as close as you two have gotten you’d probably go with him.”

“Like Hell,” Jason sneered without thinking.

Slade turned abruptly and glared at him. He had no way of knowing if the mercenary was pissed or if it was just Liam being pissed off because that’s what it needed to look like. “We’re spending Thanksgiving with your family, I expect you to reciprocate for Christmas, Jace.”

Oh yeah. Definitely part of the act. He felt relieved but kept the sneer on his face and shook his head. “Let’s not bog each other down with plans about the future. That’s nearly a month away!”

Slade’s blue eyes narrowed and then he stood. The taller, stronger man looked down at him with a warning look in his eyes. Like if Jason responded poorly, he’d storm off. “Are you expecting to dump me before Christmas, Jason Todd?”

Everyone at the table stared in surprise. Jason could see Kori’s jaw drop as Dick grimaced. Alfred looked concerned. Leslie looked uncomfortable. Bruce appeared at a loss. Like he wanted to interfere or say something on Jason’s behalf, but he of course remained silent. It wasn’t his place and for once, Bruce looked ready to respect whatever decision Jason came to.

“Let’s not do this here, Liam,” he asked as he stared up at the deadly assassin.

A flash of amusement crossed Slade’s face and then he reached down and grabbed Jason by the collar of his shirt, forcing him to his feet. The others all got their feet with the exception of Leslie. Everyone. Every. Fucking. One of them. They had just given themselves up as dangerous men and women in the know. They’d shown how quickly they could react and how not normal any of them were.

Jason couldn’t deny he was disappointed.

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Jace,” Slade growled low and then kissed him firmly, possessively, hungrily… Jason couldn’t help but melt into it as he stepped into the mercenary’s space and wrapped his arms around his waist. “Dump me before Christmas especially, and I’ll make you regret it.”

* * *

“What the fuck was that about?” Jason demanded when they were in the car.

“Just needed to make sure we were giving them hints that not all was well in paradise,” Slade shrugged. “I knew that Bruce Wayne would have an absolute conniption at the thought of his little boy being controlled and man-handled.”

“Yeah well, a little warning next time would have been nice,” Jason grumbled as he buckled his seatbelt.

“Warning would have prevented you from acting naturally,” he countered. “Admit it, he was freaked out. That’s why he took you into the back room after breakfast.”

Jason didn’t bother to deny it, though he should have. He nodded his head, “Yeah, he asked if I was okay with you doing that in public and if I had any intention of talking to you about your behavior.”

That had been a lie, but Slade didn’t seem to notice. They talked, Slade was right about that, but nothing truly negative had been discussed. Bruce hadn’t been nearly as concerned or upset as he or apparently Slade expected. On the contrary, Bruce liked Liam a lot and believed they were a strong match. If he only knew…

_“He’s good for you, you know.” Bruce said quietly, as if he was too afraid of asserting his opinion and thereby forcing Jason to take the opposite stance just because. “You smile around him.”_

_“I smile all the time,” Jason shrugged as he pocketed his hands in his jeans._

_“No, you sneer. Or you smirk. Sometimes you laugh at other people’s pain, namely your brother’s, but you don’t actually smile.” His father explained as he stepped close, though he didn’t reach out._

_“I thought you’d hate him for being all controlling and shit,” he commented as he watched Bruce’s expression. He wanted to see if it shifted or gave anything away._

_Unfortunately, Bruce remained stoic as ever. “No,” he began. “The context made it clear he knew you well enough to see that you were trying to run away. At the past few events he’s attended, I’ve noticed he sticks close, but he doesn’t get angry when you disappear. He doesn’t go through your phone when you leave it behind. He doesn’t ask you for a report on your activities whenever you wander off, and he doesn’t interfere with you talking to or spending time with your family.”_

_Jason realized everything he’d said was technically true. He’d always expected Slade to be a very abusive and controlling partner. Especially after the rumors of how he treated Terra came out. It still made him a little ill to imagine him manipulating a fifteen year old girl into thinking it was a possibility, but Slade was fucked up back then._

_He’d hated the Titans and it took a long time for the matters between them to settle._

_Since pretending to be lovers, Slade allowed him his space. He didn’t chase after him when he made it clear he didn’t want to be bothered. He didn’t stalk him unless they were in their ‘capes’ and he never demanded to know what was being said when he was out of the room or when Jason came back from the gym or something._

_But then… They weren’t actually lovers. Slade was good at his job. He was acting. That didn’t mean how he behaved as Liam was true to himself. Maybe he was the psycho-ex type. Maybe he would lose his shit if Jason ever showed up late or was caught hanging out with brothers or friends he didn’t approve of. It wasn’t like Jason knew him outside of jobs._

_“If he does hurt you though,” Bruce began with a very dangerous tone. “I’ll put him in a body cast.”_

_Normally the comment would have set off Jason’s temper, but strangely he felt supported. He felt trusted to make his own decisions. It was a rare even for the two of them. The hug that Jason gave him after was even rarer, but it felt right._

“So, what else should we do to make it look less unexpected?” Jason asked.

“The break-up?”

He nodded.

They were both silent for several moments. Jason had no way of knowing what the fuck was going through Slade’s mind, but there was a fear building in his chest. He liked Slade. Or at least the one he’d been presenting. He wondered how much of it was really a part of his personality. If the man who talked about books and teased him about the shows he watched was Slade or a piece of a constructed personality meant to suit the person he was undercover with.

Jason frowned at the idea that it was all bullshit.

“I could be Jewish,” Slade offered. “You’re Roman-Catholic right?”

“Let’s not go there,” Jason shook his head. “Besides, you don’t look Jewish.”

Slade rolled his eyes. “That’s racist, Jace.”

The odd nickname caught Jason’s attention. He wanted to change the subject anyhow, so he decided it was time to ask. “Hey, I noticed you got irritated when Dick called me Jay. Why is that?”

The blond blushed for the first time in several days. This proved to Jason that he still wasn’t at a hundred percent. Slade never blushed if he could help it. It only made him more curious, too. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Jason blinked, surprised at the denial to his request. “What? Aww, come on Slade, tell me. Please?”

“I don’t want to upset you and I don’t want to make yours and Dick’s life more difficult if it does upset you the way I suspect it might.” Slade frowned.

He stared at the road as he began to drive away from the mansion. He wasn’t a fool. He wasn’t going to demand an answer until he was certain he could handle it. If Slade’s caution in answering the question was truly for his and Dick’s benefit, it had to be bad. But that just made him even more curious. He frowned and bit at his bottom lip.

He wanted to know.

He needed to know.

“Please, just tell me,” Jason asked earnestly.

Slade sighed. “It might just be me, but until I heard Dick calling you Jay, the only other person I’d ever heard called that was Joker. Harley Quinn had a habit of calling him –

“Mr. Jay,” he growled hatefully. He couldn’t help it. He still despised the clown and his lunatic side piece. “I get that, actually, and I’m kind of touched you’d care.”

Slade looked uncomfortable and for maybe the second time since this whole de-aged thing happened, Jason couldn’t see Slade. He saw an angry, irritated, and awkward twenty-something-year-old. He couldn’t see past the blond hair or the youthful face.

It jarred him.

“Why do you allow them to call you Jay then?” Slade demanded. “Why not tell them to knock it off?”

“Because she calls him _Mr._ Jay, for one,” Jason would have shrugged, but his hands clenched the wheel too tightly. “And for two, well, she’s the only one who refers to him as Jay. No one else does to my knowledge. Thirdly, Dick’s been calling me Jaybird, Jay, Little Wing, or something like it since he met me. It makes it easier to associate the nickname positively.”

Slade nodded. “Would you like me to stop calling you Jace, then?”

“Not at all,” Jason smiled. “I like that you don’t call me Jay. I especially like the reason you don’t. I never would have expected it from you. Makes you seem like you actually give a fuck which makes it easier to pretend.”


	6. Migraine

When Jason came home from volunteering, he looked pale. Maybe even a little green. His eyelids were heavy, and he grimaced anytime he looked in a different direction too quickly. He was moving gently, as if he was afraid of causing himself pain. Slade knew of course what was bothering him. Jason had a migraine. 

He quickly turned the nightly news down and went immediately to Jason’s side as he shut off the majority of the lights. He then helped guide Jason to his room, surprised at how calmly the boy was accepting his help. Bats, this one in particular, were well known for stubbornly refusing aid or denying injuries.

He helped him into his bedroom and then into his bed. Jason gritted his teeth the entire way. “What happened?” He asked as softly as he was capable of while making sure the boy still heard him.

“The lights, the sounds, too much. Just happens that way sometimes,” Jason breathed, trying to hide the whimper of pain. “No pattern I’ve found yet.”

He frowned and wanted to ask what he did if a migraine of the same intensity hit when he was fighting? Had he tried to figure out a cure? Did his family know? Bruce seemed like the type who’d most definitely be able to find some way of assisting, or calling on someone who could? Then again, there was that whole stubborn pride thing, so he doubted any of them knew. 

It didn’t take much time for him to get Jason some of his tea made and to find his stash of frozen dark chocolate. He also grabbed some extra strength Tylenol, dry dish towel, and an ice pack meant for one’s back and returned to the room. Jason hadn’t moved except to grab the sides of his head. He was breathing calmly, but every now and then it looked like he didn’t take as deep or long of a breath. If it became a pattern, he’d hyperventilate, and the lack of oxygen would just make his head hurt even more.

With careful movements, he set the items down on Jason’s nightstand before helping him remove his clothes until he was stripped to his boxers. He kicked the clothes off to the side, not really in the mood to turn on the lights and find his hamper. He then grabbed the Tylenol and the tea. “Can you take medications with hot tea?”

“Yeah,” Jason answered, careful not to nod. He took the pills and then laid back down on the bed.

Slade grabbed the dish cloth and placed it gently over Jason’s eyes before applying the long ice pack over the top of it. “That should help. Is there anything else I can do?”

“My phone. It has my books,” he answered stiffly. “Just need to focus on something other than the pain.”

He nodded and grabbed the kid’s jacket from the floor and pulled out the phone. He stared for a moment and sighed. He didn’t know the kid’s password and he wasn’t going to ask. He also didn’t want the kid staring at a screen like that with his head throbbing. Especially after all he’d done to try and get Jason relaxed and resting.

Decision made, he pulled his own cell phone out, pulled up a reader app and searched for Jason’s favorite book. Being a classic, it was free. After he downloaded it, he began to read in as gentle a tone as he could muster. The brat only whimpered now and again in pain, but for the most part, Slade was sure he was listening raptly. He hated to admit it, but the book wasn’t nearly as bad as he remembered.

After about an hour, Jason’s breathing steadied and Slade was sure that he’d fallen asleep. He used the dim light on his home screen to help guide him out of the room. He made an internal note to himself to contact someone about migraines. The Red Hood would get himself killed if that happened to him in the middle of a fight.

He was just grateful it hadn’t happened yet.

As he walked the short distance to his room he paused and frowned. Since when did he care what happened to Jace long term? He ignored the thought and went to bed. Maybe he’d feel more himself in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this one is super short, but it felt wrong to put any other scenes with it. Like it would take away from the moment? Hope you love it!


	7. Thanksgiving Dinner

He watched as Jason grabbed Damian and literally tore the preteen off of Tim. The two had been fighting over something, a calculator, it looked like. Maybe a tablet. Slade wasn’t sure, but the fighting had started to get violent and Jason rushed over faster than Dick or Bruce and grabbed the youngest bat by his collar and yanked him backward while his left boot kept Tim pinned to the floor.

“Knock it off, Demon-Spawn.” Jason snarled. “Give it back to him.”

“-tt- Since when do you take Tim’s side?” Damian hissed.

“I’ll take his side anytime you start shit, Dami,” Jason growled back. “Now give it back and both of you knock it off.”

To Slade’s surprise, Damian Wayne did as he was told. He wondered if the youngest would retaliate, but he didn’t get a chance to find out. The doorbell rang and Damian took off like a speedster to answer the door. No doubt waiting for his little schoolmate to arrive. Tim ran back up to his room to study while Dick and Bruce followed Damian to the door, leaving them alone in the sitting room.

Jason returned to the couch, but instead of sitting beside him, he crawled into Slade’s lap and straddled him with his powerful thighs. He grinned and looked up into the eyes of his pretend lover, a question crossing his face as he waited for the answer.

“Bruce just told me about a charity benefit for tomorrow night. Was wondering if we could do it tomorrow instead?” Jason asked in a whisper as he brought his hands up to Slade’s shaggy blond hair and began to run his fingers through it.

He shrugged. “Makes no difference to me when we break it off so long as we do it before I go back to normal.”

Jason nodded. “Yeah, how’s your sight in your right eye?”

“It’s gone. Completely,” he warned. He had no idea if the eye would disappear or if it would just remain dead. He hoped if it did disappear it would happen while he slept or something. He didn’t need it vanishing in front of anyone while he was mid conversation.

“Hmm,” Jason frowned as he continued to play with his hair. “Your hair is getting a lot… whiter. Luckily it just looks like highlights.”

Jason’s hands moved down from his hair and began to knead at the muscles of his arms, shoulders, and neck. It was relaxing but it also felt amazing. The kid’s strength wasn’t too much for the tension Slade so often carried in his body. Other than when Jason had the migraine, the kid had rubbed at his shoulders or arms nearly every night they were together. Usually on the couch with one of them watching tv, or Jason reading while Slade watched the news.

It was something he knew he was going to miss. Not that he couldn’t pay someone else to do it. He just didn’t think he’d allow anyone else to put their hands all over him the way he did Jace. Even though they were faking the relationship, they’d still built a unique bond over the years. It was why he’d trusted Jason over the capes with his predicament to begin with.

The sounds of Dick and Bruce’s conversation grew louder, signaling their return. He grinned up at Jason and placed his hands on the younger’s hips to get his attention. He liked touching Jason. It wasn’t often that he wanted to touch anyone. Especially while the little shit was teasing him the way he was. He wanted to toss him off the couch and pin him to the floor while kissing and fondling every inch of him.

“Keep this up and I’m gonna have to drag you into your old bedroom,” he warned as he bucked his hips into Jason. He grinned when the brat’s eyes rolled back, and he whimpered.

“Whoa, guys!” Dick scolded with a smile. “There are kids in the house!”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Jason blushed as he crawled off of Slade. “Asshole,” he whispered before getting to his feet. He readjusted himself and then walked over to his brother. Slade couldn’t help but laugh at the sight or the sheer amount of attitude Jason had while doing it.

* * *

When the dates arrived, Slade noticed that Stephanie Brown and Tim Drake were watching him closely. He subtly stood and removed himself from the room to check the mirror in one of the manor’s many bathrooms. The eye wasn’t gone, which was something of a relief, and it was still following the working eye’s lead. That was a good thing. So, what were the teenagers staring at?

He spent another minute or two looking over his face. It was the same as it had pretty much always been minus the minor weathering and aging that had been present before the witch’s curse. Maybe it was his hair? Maybe they had noticed it was a lot lighter than it had been the last time they’d all gathered.

“Hey, Babe, what are you doing?” Jason whispered as he knocked on the door. He opened it and dragged him in with a yelp. “The fuck?”

“Batgirl and Robin keep staring at me,” He answered gruffly.

“Yeah?” Jason doubted and made a show of looking him over. “You look great to me.”

“Except that you still see me as the old man I am,” Slade frowned. “They’re used to looking at someone else. Am I looking more like me, Jason?”

There was a strange emotion that crossed Jason’s face and though Slade couldn’t say for certain what it was, he did make a startling realization of his own. Jason had stopped seeing him as the young man he appeared to be the moment he’d realized who he was weeks ago. Having a smoother, softer face, two eyes and blond hair hadn’t added to Jason’s attraction to him at all. He still saw the grizzled, angry, one eyed mercenary with white hair!

He was deeply touched. Then relieved. He didn’t blush. He didn’t allow it. He was gaining control of himself again at an alarming speed. It suddenly struck him that he might not be able to give Jason much more than the extra day he’d requested if he could give it to him at all. Bruce Wayne and his birds weren’t ever going to approve of Jason pretend dating Slade, even if it wasn’t so pretend.

“I don’t see it,” Jason shook his head. “Really. I think you’re just getting back to your old paranoid self.”

Slade used one hand to shove Jason into the wall, ignoring the sound of his laughter and walked out of the bathroom. Little shit. He walked back into the dining with the other guests as Jason trailed after him teasing him the entire way.

He froze however, when he saw Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance. He heard the audible gasp of Jason, but all he saw was red. The desire for blood and the thrill of violence boiled through his veins as he started to step toward the man he’d promised soul crushing retribution on. He could practically taste vengeance.

Until of course, Jason grabbed his bicep. “Stop!” He ordered in something of a whisper. “Fuck, _Liam_ , you can’t go after him here.”

Just as he started to settle down, the first Boy Wonder approached somewhat cautiously, and it became clear at once that Grayson knew. He could see it in the body language of the former Robin. The uneasy way Dick held himself. The way his shoulders were tensed for a fight and the way he glared at the two of them. Slade almost smiled but was worried about a throwdown in the center of Wayne Manor. It wouldn’t go the way he wanted. Not surrounded by Starfire, Batman, Red Hood, Red Robin, Batgirl, Robin, Nightwing, Oracle, Arsenal, Black Canary and Green Arrow.

“Hey guys, something wrong?” Dick frowned sternly as he glared hotly at the two of them.

“Nothing’s wrong, Dick. Fuck off,” Jason snapped before his eyes returned to Slade’s. “Everything’s fine, right?”

“Yeah, Jace, everything’s _fine_ ,” he grabbed hold of Jason’s hand and squeezed it painfully tight.

“Ow, fuck! You’re such an asshole!” Jason shouted grabbing the attention of Bruce, Selina, Dinah and Oliver. “Big damned baby,” he griped as he yanked his hand back with a laugh. He looked it over, stretching and then clenching his fingers as if to test for movement.

* * *

Kori sidled over to him, but Dick couldn’t help but watch Jason and his boyfriend shove and play-fight with each other. It looked like it was going to get a lot more violent, but so far it was just pushing and pinching one another. He didn’t like it. He knew what he saw, and he was sure of himself. The man was very tall, very powerful and was it just him or was his blond hair turning far more white than it had been just yesterday?

“Something wrong?” Kori asked as she leaned her head against his. She had to stoop a little to do it, or maybe she kinked her neck a little? He wasn’t sure, but he loved her affectionate displays. He craved the attention and her.

“Maybe, yeah,” he nodded. “I need to get Tim and Steph right away. I’d grab Bruce too, but he’s busy entertaining. Wanna grab Roy and Babs? I’ll get the other two and we’ll meet in the game room.”

She nodded and took off to grab the other couple. He walked over to Stephanie, Tim, and Damian. “Hey Tim, Steph, we need to talk real quick. Dami, would you and Lottie mind helping Alfred in the kitchen? He said he needed a couple of hands.”

Normally Damian would have argued, but Charlotte was a very polite guest and immediately nodded. She ran off quickly to the kitchen while Damian scowled at him. “Don’t be rude, Dami, she’s already several steps ahead of you,” Dick warned.

He then led Tim and Steph to the game room. “What’s going on, Dick?” Roy asked the moment the door was shut.

“Anything seem a little odd about Jason’s boyfriend Liam?” he asked, he needed to know if he had lost his mind or if anyone else caught it as well.

“He makes Jason look small,” Roy shrugged.

“Bruce, too,” Kori agreed.

Barbara tilted her head a moment and frowned. “He feels like a villain.”

“He’s been really nice as far as I can tell,” Steph disagreed. “He’s really good with Jason, too! They call each other names, but you can tell it isn’t like hateful or malicious or something.”

“They’ve clearly worked together,” Tim announced.

“How so?” Barbara asked.

Dick placed his attention on Tim just as the others did. Tim wasn’t the only smart one, but Dick liked when they were on the same page. It meant there was less of a chance that they both had made a mistake. Two Robins in agreement were rarely wrong.

“Well, Liam is always watching his and Jason’s back and Jason does the same. He moves like someone who does what we do for a living. He’s very careful and yet extremely confident,” Tim reasoned.

“Not to mention that Jason favors standing to Liam’s right,” he added, hoping his family and friends would understand. Especially those that had been Titans.

“So?” Steph shrugged.

“You don’t think?” Kori started and then looked to Roy and Tim.

Tim scratched at his chin and nodded. “It’s true. If memory serves, unless someone is seated beside him during meals, he won’t let anyone stand to his right.”

“K, really?” Roy shook his head. “It sounds like you guys are implying this Liam guy is Slade Wilson.”

“That’s exactly what we’re saying,” Dick nodded. “He’s gotta be at least six-four, he’s the right size for Slade, and he even acts like him. He growls and orders Jason about and even stranger? Jason lets him! Also, I thought ‘Liam’ was going to physically attack Oliver when he noticed they were in the same house as him.”

“There definitely isn’t a reason for a stranger to hate Oliver Queen,” Barbara agreed.

“So what should we do?” Kori asked.

“I think we should test our theories, see if we can get either of them to slip or snap,” Steph grinned.

“That’s mean,” Tim shook his head. “And dangerous.”

“I’m in,” Roy agreed.

“What should we tell Bruce and Alfred?” Dick shook his head. “They’ll be livid if we ruin tonight.”

“You ask me to help. That’s what you do,” Dick and the others frowned as they turned to face the small pre-teen at the door. “Next time, Grayson, just keep me in the loop from the beginning.”

“What are you gonna do, Demon-Spawn?” Tim scowled.

Damian didn’t bother responding to his brother as he turned and left the room. Dick cringed and wondered just what kind of Hell he’d unleashed on Jason and Slade. If it was severe enough, Jason would retaliate. He wasn’t sure their family could survive another war. Especially a war that was likely to be as petty and mean spirited as high school pranks tended to be.

He sighed and looked to the others. “We’d better get out there before our fears are confirmed with bloodshed.”

* * *

Jason was pinned to the floor, with Slade’s heavy body atop his own, the man grinning down at him as he easily held both of his wrists. He loved the feeling of Slade’s strength; of the way his weight was comforting and yet just a touch suffocating. Like maybe if the assassin tried, he could turn their playing into something deadly.

The sound of Damian clearing his throat caught Jason’s attention first as he grinned and looked up. “Something can I do for you, Dami?” He offered his brother a smile until he felt sharp teeth nip into his exposed throat. He gasped before he laughed and kneed Slade in the thigh. “Ow! Fucker, get off me.” 

“There is nothing you can do for me, Todd.” Damian sneered in disgust. “My question is for your boyfriend.”

Slade released his neck long enough to ask what the question was. He expected Slade to get off of him altogether, but the mercenary tilted his head as he watched Damian. Jason shoved at the wall of muscle above him, but the most he could get Slade to do was readjust enough to be sitting on his knees with the majority of his weight settled on Jason’s hips. He had no doubt it was done on purpose.

He stared sort of upside down at the youngest bat and smiled. The kid was out of his depth if he thought he was going to mess with “Liam.” While most underestimated Damian, especially out of his Robin uniform, he knew Slade wouldn’t. The kid was a nasty little booger when he wanted to be. Damian was skilled in many styles of combat and for being twelve or thirteen years old, he was a serious threat to common criminals.

But Slade knew everything that Damian knew. He was older and probably had between five or six decades of practice on him. Jason seriously doubted that Demon-Spawn was capable of catching his boyfriend by surprise.

“Are you really into my brother?” Damian asked.

“Obviously,” Slade rolled his eyes and Jason couldn’t help but blush at the response.

“I’m not sure you’re deserving,” his youngest brother continued. “What do you do for a living?”

“I’m a college student,” Slade answered easily. They’d come up with that one in the beginning, but Jason wasn’t sure he’d use it since he’d changed their meeting to embarrass the crap out of him at their first dinner.

“What’s your major?” Damian asked.

“Pre-Law,” Slade responded.

Jason watched as Dick, Roy, Tim, Steph, Kori, and Barbara joined them. He blushed again at the compromising position he was in. “Hey asshole, let me up.”

“No,” Slade smiled as he looked down at him. “I like you just where you are.” He returned his attention to Damian. “Any other questions, squirt?”

Damian tsked and snorted at the title but nodded. “Actually, I wanted to know if –” He gasped in alarm, his words cut off as he stepped back. “Your right eye’s gone!”

Jason couldn’t help his physical response. He gasped and looked up with a shouted, “Shit!” However, when he looked up at his completely unphased lover, he saw that both eyes were in fact in place.

“Gotcha, Todd,” Damian grinned. “Slade Wilson, I presume?” The little brat asked in a soft voice before he looked over to their older brother. “They’re ready for you now, Grayson.”

“Guess you’ve got no choice but to let me up now, huh?” Jason frowned. Slade got to his feet and offered him a hand, which he took without thought. “Let’s take this elsewhere. We can probably keep it contained.”

“We’ll see about that,” Slade responded skeptically.

* * *

Jason couldn’t help but laugh at the way Slade and Dick argued. They’d been rivals, allies, and enemies for too long. They knew each other too well and while in plain clothes, neither one was intimidated by the other. No matter how unreasonable that was. It didn’t matter how many times Deathstroke had kicked Nightwing’s ass or how many times Nightwing or Robin had humiliated The Terminator.

“I don’t see how this is funny, Jaybird,” Dick frowned as he leveled his gorgeous baby blues at him.

“Oh, fuck off, Dick,” he responded with a shrug. “It is funny. It’s pathetic, of course, too; but it’s funny. You two are acting like you’re going to murder each other, talking like one of you will end up on the ground, but all three of us know that’s not happening.”

Slade snorted, but didn’t otherwise argue further.

“Do you realize how dangerous this is? Do you understand what you’ve done?” Dick demanded.

“It’s a favor between friends,” Jason snapped. “Unlike you, Dick, Slade and I have never had a fucking grudge against each other. We work well together and have teamed up a few times!”

“You what?” Dick raised his hands to his head and then turned on Slade. “Is he right? Have you really teamed up with him?”

“Yes,” Slade nodded. “He’s got a unique set of skills that I take advantage of whenever he’s nearby.”

Jason rolled his eyes at the comment. The mercenary made it sound way chummier than it was. “Don’t act like you call me anytime you’re in Gotham. You know damned well that you only call me when necessary. Talk like that and he’ll think you’re actually into me.”

Slade and Dick both stared at him for a moment, but neither expression was entirely readable. He shrugged and pulled out a pack of smokes and lit one up, bored. They were outside for the conversation and it wasn’t like he had anything better to do than to freeze his ass off.

“Put that out!” Dick frowned. “Bruce is gonna have your ass.”

“Shove it, it’s warming me up,” Jason growled.

Slade however rolled his eyes, removed his jacket and tossed it at Jason. He was forced to drop his cigarette or risk burning the black pea coat. “Thanks,” he smirked and put it on. It was a bit oversized, but Jason found he kind of liked that.

“You’re welcome,” The mercenary answered and then looked to Dick. “How are we handling this, Grayson?”

The two stepped close to one another and Jason felt an irresistible urge to punch one or both of them. Not because they’d started speaking quietly or in hushed whispers, but because they were both speaking with their fucking hands! Jason immediately regretted not taking up sign language. He pulled the coat tighter around himself and wondered why he cared. 

Dick looked highly skeptical, but Slade remained stern, but otherwise indecipherable. Unless of course one knew sign language. He gritted his teeth and did his best not to think much of it. The task was nearly impossible when all three knew Mandarin, Spanish, Russian and of course, fucking English! What the hell did they have to say that he wasn’t supposed to hear?

He was the one doing Slade a favor, not Dick.

“If you say so,” Dick sighed aloud as his blue eyes looked to Jason with concern. “We should head back in before everyone begins to worry.”

“Not like I’m contributing much to the conversation at this point,” Jason grumbled.

Slade laughed and for reasons he didn’t want to examine too closely he felt his heart lurch at the sound. And then a strong, heavy arm wrapped around him and a pair of lips pressed to his temple. “Ease up, Jace, nothing to be jealous of.”

“Like I’d ever be jealous of Dick,” he blushed.

“Yeah, there’s no way you’d ever fall so low,” Slade taunted with another roll of his eyes.

* * *

Dinner didn’t actually become the disaster Slade expected it would. He and Jason purposely sat as far from Dinah and Oliver as possible and Dick managed to keep his siblings from spilling the beans. Alfred and Leslie sat close to himself and Jason and provided a fairly decent conversation. Jace and the butler talked of books while he and Leslie discussed various political opinions of current events. Every now and then they’d add a comment or two if they were roused by something their dates said.

The meal was nice and pleasant. It had been partially catered so that Alfred could enjoy the holiday. Bruce was plenty distracted by the guests closer to his own age as well as his date and left his sons alone for the most part. Only once or twice did he look to one of them or their dates and ask a question.

He was surprised however when Jason informed him that they’d be staying for dessert. Well, with the exception of the doctor, the butler, Damian and Charlotte. They were going to the girl’s parent’s house and Alfred and Dr. Thompkins volunteered to drive them back home.

“We have to give Dickie the opportunity to beg everyone to go Black Friday shopping with him,” Jason whispered, due in part to the fact that Kori and Dick were seated across from them and Barbara and Roy were on Jason’s right.

“Black Friday shopping in Gotham? Sounds like a blood-sport,” he laughed.

“It is!” Steph threw in. She’d been sitting opposite the butler and doctor beside Tim. “I swear someone dies every year.”

“You mean two or three. I don’t think there’s been a Black Friday that I can recall passing without at least four deaths.” Tim frowned. “It shouldn’t be encouraged.”

“It’s not that bad!” Dick insisted.

“Dude,” Jason rolled his eyes. “Seriously?”

“There will be no Black Friday shopping.” Bruce called from the end of the table. “You wish to participate in such an event, you can do it in another city.”

“Like?” Oliver asked.

“Literally any other city besides Gotham or Bludhaven,” Bruce answered.

Slade wondered if it was difficult for all these capes to pretend they weren’t really vigilantes. By his count, only Charlotte didn’t know anything about the nightly habits of the family. Everyone present did, but because they weren’t aware of who he was, they all had to fake being normal billionaires just hanging out together. He wondered what it would have been like without him around.

“So far, your family doesn’t seem to give a damn about you having a date,” he whispered in Jason’s ear as he threw his arm around his shoulder. He offered a soft kiss to his neck.

“Well duh,” Jason laughed. “It’s not like they’re going to hound me about being single when I’ve got a boyfriend sitting beside me.”

He wondered… Looking to Timothy he decided to ask. “Is it true? You guys really give him crap about not dating anyone before me?”

The teen looked uncomfortable but shrugged. “I don’t. I mean, Dick and Alfred have been the worst about it to be honest. They start pushing at him and then Bruce hears it and tries to help, but then ends up on their side somehow and then yeah… so the answer would be… I guess so?”

He could see that. Unfortunately, Slade could also see Dinah and Oliver glancing down the table, trying to get a look at him and Jason. He wondered if something had changed again. He leaned into Jason’s ear. “Not sure I’m gonna be able to make it another night, Kid,” he warned.

“Wanna do it now?” Jason asked, adding some attitude to his expression.

Slade nodded.

Keeping up the glare and nearly pouting, Jason did as well. “K, I’ll get us started and then when we all go to the game room we can finish it,” his whisper sounded restrained and angry. The kid really was a good actor. Better than the other Robins in Slade’s opinion. He had no doubt Jason’s whisper sounded somewhat hostile. He then spoke up a bit loudly. “Do we really need to go over this again? Now?”

He sighed and rolled his eyes at the dramatics. “Get a grip, Jace, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“It is a big deal! You can’t just bring that shit up at a family dinner!” He growled and a flash of mischief crossed his gaze. “Does it really matter who the top is?”

Slade nearly choked and he didn’t bother to hide or prevent the blush that burned his cheeks as the entire table stared. Jason ran out of the room and he knew damned well it was to keep it a secret when he busted up laughing. As Roy snickered, Barbara smacked him. Bruce looked concerned, and Oliver fucking Queen actually laughed aloud before cutting it off with a fake cough.

He stood slowly and then ran to catch up to Jason. Unfortunately, so too did the rest of young adults and teens. He ignored the fact that he was about to face Jason in front of the entire family, but then, that’s technically what he’d agreed to. If he’d known he’d be humiliated while doing it, he might have declined Jason’s help altogether.

* * *

Jason started as soon as Slade entered the room. He had to. They didn’t have a chance to talk things through or change up what he’d started the fight about. His entire family had followed like the nosey bastards they all were.

“Look, Liam, I’ve respected your wishes to hold off on sex, but I’m not gonna wait forever!” he snapped. “You aren’t the only man in this relationship! There’s nothing wrong with bottoming for someone you love!”

Slade looked murderous as he glared down at him and Jason was almost intimidated. Almost. It helped that he had pretty much the entire Batclan, plus three members of the Quiver guild or whatever the Hell they called themselves. Arrowclan? Arrows?

“That’s not what this is about!” Slade snapped.

“Like hell!” Jason shouted. “You boss me around in our day to day life, you’re already like four inches taller than me, you pay for everything! It’s like you have to be in charge of everything! I have plenty of control-freaks in my life! You want to take our relationship to the next level than dammit, Liam, you have to give me this!”

Jason swallowed harder as Slade’s eyes narrowed on him. He was so going get his ass kicked. Jason didn’t know for certain the details, but it was pretty obvious he was a dead man. He’d mortified Slade in front of his enemies and clearly, that was a problem he hadn’t really thought about. Really, he should have, though. Oliver Queen had wound up on Slade Wilson’s shit-list for shoving an arrow into his empty eye-socket and taunting him! That’s it!

His family watched from the doorway, but they didn’t interfere as ‘Liam’ glared at him. “You want to do this here, Jace? Really? You want to shout about our sex life—”

“Or lack thereof!” Jason interrupted.

“In front of your family?” Slade continued. “Fine, Jace, you want this public. You want everyone to know every damned detail about us? So be it!”

He scowled at Slade, feeling like he wasn’t as in control of this fake fight as he thought. The mercenary stepped up to him and grabbed his hips. “Marry me.”

“What the fuck are you—”

“Don’t you get it? I don’t give a fuck who plays the top or the bottom,” Slade admitted and Jason felt like he was being trapped or like maybe that revenge was coming sooner than he’d expected. “I just don’t believe in sex before marriage, alright?! I just put it off and put it off until I knew for sure that you were the one.” 

Jason stared up at him and blushed, shocked and dismayed. What the fuck was he supposed to do now? He looked to his family and saw their surprised but expectant faces. He knew all but four were aware of who Liam really was and yet, and yet…

“You motherfucker,” Jason hissed quietly. Yeah, he embarrassed Slade, but clearly Slade thought he could make Jason look like the asshole in this fake break up. Well, the assassin wasn’t the only one who could turn some tables. Slade grinned down at him, clearly feeling his triumph. “If… if that’s how you feel Liam, then… yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From the shortest chapter in the story to the longest. I thought about breaking it up a few times, but I didn't want to leave anyone hanging on the big Thanksgiving day event. Hope you enjoy it!


	8. It's Over Now

“So now what the hell do we do? You were supposed to say no!” Slade demanded as he shoved his way into the apartment. He was so angry he could strangle Jason! He nearly had. Especially while he and Jason were forced to sit through an awkward toast. Thankfully, Dick had insisted on allowing them time to celebrate their engagement privately.

Jason didn’t answer as he tried to walk around him. He knew the kid would retreat into his room if he let him. So, he grabbed the brat roughly and slammed him into the hallway wall instead. “I asked you a question, Todd.”

“Nothing, alright? _We_ don’t need to do a damned thing,” the younger snapped. “ _I’ll_ go to the fucking benefit or whatever tomorrow and announce that when we got home, we got into a huge fight and we broke up. I’ll say you went home or something.” 

Even as Jason spoke, Slade got the feeling that the younger was reeling inside. Something had happened. Something had hurt the second Robin. He’d ask, but he was fairly certain Jason would be just as in the dark about what was going on as he was.

He didn’t fight back or stop Jason when the kid pulled out of his grip and went straight to his room. The door slammed shut with impressive strength. Again, they both knew he was upset about something, but he doubted either one of them would figure what was eating at him. Jason wasn’t one for introspection and to be honest, Slade didn’t have patience for games.

The age gap was impressed upon Slade by the immaturity of the brat refusing to sit and talk about their next move like adults. He didn’t need to stick around any longer, though. He just needed to gather up gear and clothes and he’d head out. Things would go back to normal and he’d call on Jason any time he came into Gotham or when he needed a favor. There wouldn’t be any awkwardness or regrets. He just needed to get his shit and head to Montana.

He packed up his things and put them all in his bag and started for the door. He debated on calling out to Jason but decided against it. He wasn’t going to beg the kid to interact with him. He was Slade Wilson. He didn’t care about people, particularly annoying vigilantes who were desperate to be heroes. Besides, it wasn’t his place. What they had was only pretend. 

He walked out the door and didn’t bother to look back.

* * *

Jason threw back the whiskey, enjoying the burn down his throat. He didn’t really care what Selina or Bruce were lecturing him about. It probably had something to do with not letting little things destroy something meaningful. He wasn’t surprised. His dad and Selina hadn’t known about Liam being Slade. So, them being upset on behalf of them as a couple made perfect sense.

His siblings and friends on the other hand? They’d been ecstatic and relieved. He didn’t know why, but Dick’s reaction had touched something bitter and angry inside of him. The Golden Boy had blown out a sigh and clapped him on the back. “Don’t worry, Jaybird, we’ll find you someone much more your speed.”

It hadn’t even been a mean thing to say. It wasn’t cruel or hateful. It wasn’t even antagonizing. So why the Hell had Jason wanted to deck his older brother? The other six seemed to sense his anger and possibly the violence brimming under the surface. They’d give him some space, but still kept an eye on him. They were all convinced that Slade would come back and put a beat-down on him for embarrassing him so badly in front of Oliver, Bruce, and Dinah.

“Jason, are you listening?” Selina frowned.

“Oh yeah, I love talking about my love-life to a woman I’ve personally fought and tied up after she was caught breaking and entering. Pearls of wisdom, Catwoman, pearls of fucking wisdom,” he snickered, but then glared when he tried to take a drink from his empty glass. “’Scuse me, I need to get another.”

She didn’t follow him, but Bruce did. He gritted his teeth as he approached the bar and ordered himself a couple double shooters of whiskey. Fuck sipping. He felt like shit and he wanted the burn. Needed the burn. But not in his eyes.

Fuck, why were his eyes burning?

“Jason?” Bruce sighed and he felt his old man’s hand grip his shoulder firmly. “Are you sure you two can’t fix this? You look miserable. I’ve never seen you like this over someone, before.”

“Why would I care about fixing it?” He tried to laugh it off as if it were nothing, as if he wasn’t on the verge of tears for some insanely stupid, one-eyed reason. “He’s an asshole.”

“Yes, I do recall you shouting and whispering that to him on numerous occasions,” Bruce pulled him close and because they were in public, Jason didn’t fight it, but he kept a good grip on his shot glasses. “You can talk to me about it, you know?”

“Like either of us are comfortable enough with one another for that discussion.” Jason rolled his eyes. “I’d need at least two more of these.”

“Is it because he’s really Slade Wilson?” Bruce asked.

Jason stepped back and stared in surprise. “What… What are you—”

“Come on, Son,” Bruce chuckled. “I spend my days and nights investigating and fighting crime. You think it was hard to figure out that Slade Wilson disappeared after fighting with and killing a powerful witch?”

Jason blushed and threw back one of the shots. “You can’t pretend you’re okay with it.”

“I wasn’t going to.”

“Good.”

“Jason, I’m not telling you to go fix things with him anymore than I’m hoping that you can,” Bruce sighed, “I don’t approve of him, I don’t want him anywhere near you. I think he’s dangerous, selfish, cruel, and monstrous.”

“Sounds like he and I have a lot in common,” he shrugged as he set down the empty shot glass.

“No, you don’t,” Bruce sneered. “You are one of the least selfish people I’ve ever known. You’re the guy who always sacrifices himself for the team. You’re the one who will give and give until you aren’t able to stand.”

“To be fair, none of us are very selfish,” he conceded. “But I’ve been a murderer, I’ve been cruel, and most would add monstrous. So, you tell me, B. What _don’t_ we have in common?”

“Your age, for one,” his father shot back.

“Ouch, no hesitation on that one,” Jason laughed and dropped back the last shot.

“He’s old enough to be _my_ father, Jason,” Bruce forced a shiver and he laughed again. “He’s merciless, without compassion, and I believe absolutely that when he’s done playing with you, he’ll spit you out and leave you worse for wear.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well, all this bonding would be more effective if I cared what he thought. But I don’t. Let’s just drop it and forget we ever brought it up.”

“Normally, I’d argue with you, but seeing as you’re already drunk, I’ve ordered you a Lyft home,” Bruce informed him.

“Getting kicked out of the benefit already?” Jason snickered. “Awesome,” he laughed to himself and started his way toward the exit.

His brothers all stared at him and he knew what they were thinking. What they were suspecting. It wasn’t the usual disappointed or irritated looks on their faces as he walked by. They weren’t envious that he’d gotten himself out of the public eye with his antics. He hadn’t picked a fight with Bruce or embarrassed their family.

Instead his brother’s gazes were piteous. They were concerned and sorry. They assumed he cared a single smidgeon. Which was odd because none of them liked Slade. Hell, he wasn’t even sure he liked the assassin! Bruce had just told him he didn’t want them together, that he didn’t approve. So why did they feel bad for him?

It wasn’t like he was happy with Slade. It wasn’t like the past couple weeks had been some of the best he’d shared with someone outside of his family. He didn’t get through the holiday easier this year than any other year in his entire life.

He started toward the stairs and frowned as he looked down at the red and cold carpeted death trap. He wasn’t a lightweight when it came to alcohol but he was capable of succumbing to the consequences of inebriation without food in the belly just the same as any other mortal. His head swam and his vision blurred. He just needed to hold on to the rail.

As much as he hated to admit it, he was grateful for Bruce’s sudden return to his side. They went carefully down the stairs, one step at a time. Unfortunately, it gave Bruce a little more time to lecture and criticize him. Or so he assumed. It was hard to focus when his head felt so terrible. God, he really prayed he wouldn’t have a migraine when he woke up. Hangovers were bad enough…

“Roy, Barbara, make sure he gets into his apartment, please,” he heard Bruce request. It sounded very much like he wanted to be the one to do it himself, and a year or so ago, it would have burned Jason’s ass that he wouldn’t. But now, he understood. Even drunk he knew the man was needed to host his own stupid functions. Drunk and heartbroken son or not.

He groaned aloud. “I’m not heartbroken!”

Roy blinked at him from the back-passenger seat. “No one said you were buddy. Are you alright?”

“Fuck off, Harper,” he grumbled and took his spot in the back. Apparently, Babs got dibs on front passenger.

He leaned his head against the cool glass of the fairly nice sedan and closed his eyes. He didn’t bother to listen to Babs or the pretty, female driver chit-chatting about the holidays. Nor did he give Roy any opportunity to ask about Slade. The moment his friend asked if he was alright, he growled something unintelligible and refused to acknowledge Roy or the advice he forced on him.

What did Roy know anyhow? He wasn’t into Slade! He couldn’t care less what the mercenary was up to. And no, he didn’t actually spend that much time with him. Where Dick and Roy got all their nonsense from was beyond him. For some reason they were both convinced that Slade called on him anytime he was in the area, but that wasn’t true.

Slade didn’t give a fuck about anyone.

And there was nothing wrong with that! He didn’t care.

Really, he didn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me! There's still another chapter, plus I'm adding a bonus chapter :)


	9. This Is How You Remind Me...

“Christ, Kid, I’m gone less than twenty-four hours and you’re already this broken up over me leaving?” Slade’s voice whispered in his ear.

Jason jumped in surprise and nearly fell out of the bed. Probably would have too if it weren’t for the strong, powerful arms cradling him. He shivered at the incredible might of Slade Wilson. It would never stop being sexy to him that Slade could toss his two-hundred- and thirty-pound ass around like he was a damned rag doll.

“The fuck are you doing here?” He groaned as he stared past the migraine and focused on the clear blue eye of the Terminator. His hair was back to its Old Man Winter routine. The right eye was gone, too with the patch present. Slade Wilson was back to his normal, sexy, stupid self. “Thought you went home?”

He was placed back in the bed, far more gently than Jason felt he deserved. He scooted over, unbidden, but was pleased when Slade sat beside him anyhow. They were both stiff and Jason felt confused and hurt. He couldn’t guess what Deathstroke was feeling. Clearly it wasn’t homicidal though, or he’d be dressed in his black and orange gear and looking to kill.

“I thought about going home,” Slade answered. “But I’m also not one to ignore my desires. My life is fucked up, Kid. You of all people know that better than most. In our line of work, mine in particular, good things don’t come along all that often.”

It wasn’t that Jason didn’t like what he heard. But he was uncomfortable with it. His self-esteem was shit. Always had been. Nothing Bruce, Alfred, Dick, or the rest of the family had tried ever really worked that out of him. He just never really felt worthy.

When he heard Slade’s words, he wanted to believe them immediately. He wanted to feel that lucky, to feel that proud that the deadliest assassin in the world thought he, Jason Peter Todd, was a good thing in his life. But it was so hard when he recalled the things Willis Todd screamed at him when he was on a bender, or the sad, teary-eyed way Catherine would stare at him when he begged to be enough for her to get better or try harder.

“There’s nothing _good_ about me, Slade,” he warned, hoping it didn’t sound self-pitying.

“You’re full of shit, Jace,” the man chuckled. “I know you don’t know it yet, not truly. But I think we both have time to work on it.”

“Dude, I don’t even know why you’re here!” Jason denied, because there was no way Slade Wilson wanted him. He was a snot-nosed, ornery little shit.

Slade grabbed his chin and forced him to look him in the eye. “Listen to me, Jace, really listen to me, because I don’t like repeating myself,” he began with a growl. “You _are_ a good thing. You are something that reminds me of my youth, of why I wanted to join the military. You embody so many of those things that remind me of the man I once was, and sometimes, the man I still want to be. You’re honorable, strong, courageous, and you _care_ about people.”

Jason stared in surprise and blinked back the emotion that threatened to overwhelm him. He shook his head and tried to ignore the sharp pain that flickered behind his eyes and down the sides of his head. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to respond. Dick was right, after all. Slade was a damned mercenary and he was always on the prowl. What made him think that Slade wasn’t on a contract right now? What if he was…

Slade’s lips crashed into his and he, along with his fears and doubts, melted into the solid mass of muscle and power. He let himself get wrapped up and around the mercenary. There was a soft chuckle and then a warning growl before Slade moved his lips down to his jaw. Teeth, not particularly sharp, but insistent and firm bit into the flesh there and Jason whimpered.

“I know this may not sound like a big deal to you, but I enjoyed my time here for the past couple of weeks. I enjoyed being happy,” Slade spoke into his neck, just below his ear. “Normally when I come to Gotham, a few hours with you are enough, but leaving this time? I’m not leaving this city without you.”

“And if I don’t approve of a job you’re doing?”

Slade smirked and kissed his neck again. “Who says you’ll know what jobs I’m doing? Unless it’s one I know you’d be okay with, I just won’t mention it.”

He laughed at the terrible answer. “And if one of those jobs just happens to be one I’m supposed to prevent?”

“I won’t hurt you or anything, nothing permanent, but I guess we’ll just have to fight and see who comes out on top.”

“These answers should really be insulting to me. Like all kinds of flags should be raised.” He shook his head and then pulled the mercenary into a kiss. “If you really think this is what you want, fine. Let’s play house, but you can’t go after my family or anyone they’re dating.”

“Fine,” Slade rolled his eye. “But you have to tell your family about me. I’m not hiding from the Bats.”

Jason felt a hollow pang in his chest as Slade got up from the bed. His head took over as he leaned against his pillows and squeezed his eyes shut. He was about to call out for Slade after a few minutes passed, when he felt the older man’s presence. He opened his right eye and saw a water glass and two pills being handed to him.

“We’re getting this migraine shit figured out, Kid,” Slade warned.

“Whatever you say, _Dear,”_ Jason teased but took the pain relievers and washed them down with the water handed to him next.

Again, Slade disappeared to return the glass to the kitchen sink. He smiled at the realization that Slade was taking care of him and it didn’t feel condescending or humiliating. He had a friend and a partner that he trusted and that it was Slade didn’t blow his mind as he thought it should have. He closed his eyes and let the feeling settle over him.

Yeah, having Slade as his for-real boyfriend wouldn’t be so bad.

He grinned when he heard Slade return to the room, but he didn’t open his eyes. “Guess this means you’ll be around for Christmas?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow's chapter is just a bonus piece, however, I am really, really thinking about doing a second part to this if DXS doesn't mind and the response is positive enough.


	10. You Said It Yourself

Bruce looked to Selina as she sighed. “You told him the exact opposite of what I told you to tell him, didn’t you?”

He wanted to shrug it off and pretend the conversation never happened. Just like Jason had requested, but he knew better. Selina wasn’t going to let it go, which meant he’d have no choice but to be “emotionally available” to her and discuss his and his son’s feelings. He tried glaring at her, but that had long since lost its effectiveness against her.

“Damn it, Bruce, you told me yourself that Jason was happier than you’d ever seen him! That he was engaged with the family and he was smiling.” She stepped up to him and grabbed the lapels of his suit. “Also, wasn’t it you that said you both were just alike?”

He waved it off and shook his head. “I can’t ignore his tactics, I can’t ignore that he’ll never give it up. Not even for Jason.”

She smiled up at him and kissed his chin. “The point though, Bruce, is that Jason wouldn’t ask him to give it up and that’s why they’re perfect for each other. The same way you and I are perfect for each other.”

He glared down at her, but wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to her lips before asking; “Just what do you mean when you say that Jason and I are so alike and _that’s_ why he and Slade belong together?”

It was her turn to look annoyed as he watched her roll her eyes and step out of his arms. She walked to the closet and removed her shoes and then began to roll down her tights. He loved watching her undress, and normally he’d love to help out. But, he didn’t want to hear what she had to say this time. He didn’t want to go over it again.

Slade had stepped out of Jason’s life. They’d both made the mostly right call and he wasn’t going to interfere. Still, it didn’t stop Selina from trying to make her case or prevent her from answering the question he’d asked.

“Like me, Slade is that darker edge of Jason. He’s ruthless and cruel, yes, but Jason can be as well. Seeing that darker side will actually help Jason maintain his own moral code. He’s too much like you to be so easily influenced by a criminal.” She explained as she turned her back on him. “Zipper, love?” He walked over as she continued talking and started to help her. “They balance each other, Bruce. He can’t have someone who’s soft and gentle. He can’t have a perfect law-abiding citizen at his side.”

He started to rebut when she shimmied out of her dress, his eyes drawn to some of her physical assets. She glanced at him over her shoulder, smiling. “Sound like another caped crusader? Maybe like _the_ caped crusader.”

He groaned and stepped away from his lovely girlfriend, hating that she made sense in a way he rarely admitted he was wrong in. It wasn’t that he was wrong to be worried, he knew that. Slade was too old and too ruthless, and yet… And yet… Was Selina right? Would Jason really tolerate anyone else in his life. It wasn’t like he hadn’t dated before…

Jason dumped every guy or girl within days of meeting them… Like father, like son.

“He smiled, Bruce, remember,” she whispered. “You told me that. Jason smiled.” He sighed again and allowed _himself_ a small smile as she wrapped her arms around his torso. “I think you have a phone call to make, don’t you?”

Defeated, he finally nodded. “Yes, dear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you all enjoyed this. After speaking with the individual this was gifted for, I have decided to write a sequel. It may take me a few days or so to get it going, but I really hope you'll all be back to read and enjoy! Thanks for reading and commenting! Kudos and comments keep authors motivated, ;) ! 
> 
> Happy Holidays to those celebrating this year!


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